That Old Producer
by granola gwen
Summary: Based off events from A Christmas Mikey, this tells the events leading up to the tragic event that happened many years ago to a certain producer. I don't know how much I'll write of this to be honest.
1. Chapter 1

A young adult standing on the muddy, heavily rained on soils, quickly collapsed at the realization of what had had tore away from his soul a five years ago. And most importantly, the two tombstones that were right in front of him. The sky had a bitter look in its' dark colored overcast that stung every time thunder boomed. Some of the others around him who wore all black and carried matching colored umbrellas quickly got to their feet and helped the poor young man up. However, he quickly denied any sympathy and jerked out his elbows for the hands of his family to fall off them.

The man jabbed his elbows then deep into his legs as his hands squeezed his face to resist any tears to flow from it. Instead of crying for long, the shaking grip on his hands tightened and he got up without a word. His search was over. There was nothing left the authorities cared about he thought and they had give up. This had only made him madder.

The man stormed out from the event with clenched fists and soggy clothes from the downpour in his town. As he fled, his older brother had gently grabbed his shoulders and tried to assure him he'd be there for him. For that's really all that could be said at the time. The brother had often been unserious about almost everything in his life. But nothing really concerned him more that day than the closest person to the world to him. Therefore as the man shook his twin sibling from his shoulders, the older brother started to tear up himself. For he knew his little twin was going to take this tragedy too far and might do something that will hurt himself.

The parents of the both of them also came by, as did a quivering woman with droopy eyes and breath that stunk of alcohol. She stood beside the couple as they shouted out the boy's name. But the young man kept walking away from all of his family, not looking back. Finally the father caught up to him and turned him around. He looked at all the wrinkles and dark circles that had buried deep in his second born child's face over the years of pure instability he had faced. The parental figure was usually a man of firm, wise words but could only hold tightly onto his offspring's burgundy colored jacket.

"There's nothing left here for me..." gravely spoke his possessed looking child with insanity and gulped down his feelings. He held onto his father tightly, though he felt like resisting any forms of sympathy at that moment. But he didn't realized how much he needed this. Through breaths and flashed back memories that engulfed him like a violent tidal wave, the man was able to gasp out some words. His voice was calm surprisingly, but it still sounded shaky between words.

"I just don't care what happens anymore... But I want out of this god forsaken town father..."

His son then let out from the hug and kept walking on. His family made an urge to follow him, but he barked out for them to stay. Respecting his wishes momentarily they did not go after him. Eventually the emotional man walked past the funeral grounds in the pouring rain and stared at the nightly lit trees ahead of him. Through his unsettled fears, the red, green and white lights that covered branches seemed to laugh at the actions of the young man with their cheerful appearance. He eventually packed up the little things he had taken on his original trip out of the country in the first place. For those were the only things that had remained in tact after the explosion that day. Those worthless things had been more close to him and more safe than his own immediate family...

So the man fled out of the town, not thinking too wisely of the surroundings of friends and family's emotional states. He looked past the scenery of traditional homes and lush nature covered in a winter wonderland of Kyoto. He use to admire this utopia of friendliness and bathed in their sunlight during the fall growing up as a visiting child. He enjoyed the crisp, cool air that his panting lungs inhaled as he had enjoyed playing baseball and nonsensical games. How the summer sun collided with raven colored hair and peaked out when the breeze softly blew hair. How in the winter the snow and nail biting, freezing snow would bring the playing to a stop. And bodies would come together in heat and stability in order to make it through another windstorm of months. He had experienced all these things, but mostly craved huddling up for the warmth he now lacked physically and mentally. The whole place that once shimmered so bright in his thoughts looked more foul to him than anything ever he could imagine.

In the bitter cold, he eventually called a taxi with the money he had made during his previous trip to Tokyo. He knew if his life would no longer revolve around the two people who had changed his entire world, then he would go somewhere that made him happy. When the taxi got to his location, he hustled his bags out from the back seat, only forgetting his wallet for a brief few moments.

"Wait sir," the man looked at the license within the leathered material, "Yukimara Ozu, you dropped your wallet".

"Thanks..." Ozu said as he tugged it into his shirt pocket and closed the door to the cab.

As he walked down the city with his luggage, the echoes of what he said years ago to his wife and son rung louder than the Christmas bells on the streets.

"I will return in time for Christmas".

This memory kept getting tangled with ones of his entering of adulthood and they couldn't help but race harder and harder as he entered an employment office.


	2. Chapter 2

A cold gust of December weather filled in the streets of Tokyo some twenty years later after the event. It sent out mental messages to everyone who lived there that it was time to hastily rush around to get ready for another cookie cut season greeting. Despite this population's vast and difference of personalities in terms of life experience, goals, dreams from each other they all wanted some sort of happiness. Even if some tucked it away like in a drawer and pushed up against it, the lust for some cheery memories kicked inside it.

A small, purple bunny/bat like creature was seen hastily speed walking across intersections traced in the gleaming white snow. Despite the cold weather, he felt warmth beneath in furry costume as he swiftly made it across multiple sidewalks. The production for Lilymu's sixth season had officially ended. For the first time in ages since the show was the talk of the entire city. It was all thanks to a certain red headed American who had increased the show's viewing. Guano Kawamoto of course was thrilled to see his masterpiece still thriving, for it was the only thing in the world he felt he could perfect.

He wasn't even frightened that he had the daunting task of fetching supplies for their yearly Christmas Party that his fellow employee Lily was in charge of. He felt like an independent spirit and happily walked to the party store to pick up streamers, mistletoes, plastic cups, plates and whatever else he could find there.

He placed so many colorful items in shopping cart that they towered at least two feet above his long rabbit like ears. As his usual accident prone self always did, they all came tumbling down and the midget squealed with fear. The store's cashier looked uninterested as she saw all this through peaking through her magazine. Guano gasped for air out of the mountain of fizzy drinks and swam his through Kello the Kitten and Clannad printed napkins before reaching the check out counter. The director managed to put each item in two separate carts so they wouldn't come bearing down on him again.

"Uh heh... Pretty slippery stuff huh?" He leaned against the counter and awkwardly coughed a bit.

"Whatever" the teenaged girl said and rung up each item.

Guano then realized, how would he be able to carry all the items alone?

"You guys don't have any kind of delivery service to ship items to let's say, a studio. Do you?"

"Nope" the girl spoke without any eye contact to the little guy.

Guano could call any one of his friends to come help him. However he knew Mitsuki and Gonard were already busy with inviting people for the party. And Lily would be too busy yelling at them to get everything exactly how she imagined it. Then there was Mikey, who he hadn't seen all day because he had locked himself in his room for some reason.

"Are you just going to stand there and monologue to yourself, or are you going to pay for all of this" asked the impatient cashier as she smacked on gum.

"Oh sorry" Guano swiped his credit card through the machine. "Could I just like borrow a cart or something because I don't think I can lug these many bags by my own-".

"Sir, removing any carts is prohibited by the law and is a federal offense to this here country". She turned a page in her gossip magazine.

"Federal off- You know what, never mind I'll just carry them all myself". Guano exclaimed in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Have a good day sir!" the girl cheerfully exclaimed as Guano hustled with bags all around him.

He slowly waddled his way and after much sweating and tears, he made it (out of the door of the store). He collapsed and doing so one of the bags hit his stomach. He fell down in pain for a brief few moments before the throbbing stopped. The director stopped holding his belly with his arms and saw chunks of crystals wedged into his fur. His power crystal had shattered do to the impact of that bag.

"Curse Lily for asking me to get twelve shades of pink streamers!" the writer slash director whimpered out seriously.

He brushed off the shimmering blue glass from his body. If you would go back months ago, he would have flipped at a problem such as this. But ever since Guano's original suit was thrashed by one of Mikey's paint pranks, the director had sown up new costumes. So just in case another accident happened (and Guano had many of those happen to him) he would be prepared. The thought of him having to lose his precious suit because it was messed up made him queasy inside. Guano picked up each paper bag slowly making sure they wouldn't come tumbling down once more.

As he begun to struggle back to Lilymu Studios, he kept thinking about what happened to his gem. Then he thought of the original gem/suit that he had for years. Even before he had created Lilymu nearly ten years ago. His original gem had meant so much to him because it had always been with him. However, was able to let go of his old one because number one (it smelt awful after it was splashed with paint and a raccoon family lived on it). And two he secretly had one possession he had cared more about than it. Guano used his bags to conceal the hidden, weather beaten, stuffed teddy bear inside his power crystal.

Guano panted and swerved as he reached the Studio. He rapidly knocked on the door to be let inside. Lily opened it up and crossed her arms.

"It's about time you got back. Well, it like you've gotten everything. Great job Guano." She applauded as Guano was still at the door squealing under the tower of bags. "You did get the purple streamers too right?"

"Oh there is NO way I'm going back for those girl" Guano snapped.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to tell Ozu you're not being very corporative".

"Ozu doesn't even care about the holidays anyways" Guano spoke.

Guano was right, Ozu absolutely despised Christmas for a reason unknown to anyone but the producer himself.

Mitsuki and Gonard stood behind their queen bee.

"Come on Lily, let him in. Just look how much he's struggling." Mitsuki spoke and offered to take bags. With her super spy strength she managed to grab most of them.

"Yeah! He's uh, what did you say he was?" said Gonard.

"Struggling?" Mitsuki replied.

"Yeah!" the blue haired man eagerly said, becoming in a chibi like form. Gonard reached out to take the remaining bags but Guano refused for he didn't want anyone to see what was inside his broken crystal.

"Uh, it's okay I've got this" he said.

"Nah buddy, it's fine! I've got it!" Gonard exclaimed and launched his hands onto the remaining bag.

"Gonard, I'm fine" the director said getting irritated.

They kept doing this, back and forth. Gonard was too silly and Guano was too stubborn for them to come to an agreement.

"Oh here just let me have it" Lily butted in and ripped it from the purple pikachu's hands.

Guano quickly covered up his belly with his hands and ran off in a frenzy.

"Was it something I said?" Gonard questioned.

"Oh that little spaz is always freaking about something. Now let's see if he actually got those golden rimmed wine glasses..." Lily trotted off in her thoughts.

Guano ran off all the way back to Lilymu Towers, which was a few blocks away. He dashed off into an elevator and sighed quickly as he saw the doors slowly closing. That is, until a grey suited arm slid into it before the doors sealed. Yes Man squealed with pain and then stretched the doors opened.

"There we go!" The man said before rocking his throbbing right arm like a baby to his chest. Yes Man wore his traditional cheesy elf costume as he did every year that Guano had been there.

"You COULD have just pressed the open button, idiot." A raspy voice barked at the silly man.

There Guano could see the employee was not alone, his boss was there too. Looking more furious than usual. Guano cowered and thought about waiting until the next elevator ride to go up. Because he sure as heck didn't want anyone knowing what floor he lived on. But before he could blink, they were already standing next to him and the door was shut. Guano knew quite well of the producer's mysterious anger to Christmas during the near decade the director had worked there. The record of times he'd accidentally come across Ozu's rage during the season had been piling up.

Guano trembled at the fear of what Ozu could do to him if he made one wrong move. Would Ozu trash Guano's name so bad in the entertainment business that he would be forced to take a job as a chimney sweeper? Would he fire him? Or fire him and then open up the elevator with his bare hands, then throw down the many floors to his death? Or worse, make him wear Yes Man's elf costume? Guano shook, still holding onto his stomach to conceal his toy and to hold back the nauseous feelings he had.

Ozu was silent waiting for the button light up and reach his floor's number. Meanwhile, Yes Man was bobbing his head to the elevator music in the tune of jingle bells. Guano was quite amazed at how Ozu didn't even seem to realize Guano was there the entire time. It was as if his boss was lost in his own thoughts.

"Pfft jingle bells... What's so fun about riding on a sleigh?" Ozu spoke out seeming to be still on Earth. He sounded a little ridiculous to Guano but he knew better than to say anything.

Guano's heart dropped as the elevator finally reached his number and the door opened. He cautiously walked out, still trying not to make eye contact with him.

"Come back soon!" Yes Man waved to him. Before the doors closed, he took a daring move and caught a glimpse of Ozu's face. The old man stared at the ground and be was actually quite depressed looking. His eyes were squinting and his eyebrows caved in to make a sad looking expression that covered his face. This caught Guano by surprise as he'd never seen the producer look this way.

But the purple man didn't think twice about it again, as he had his own matters to attend. The paranoid Guano swiftly looked around to make sure no one was spying on where his apartment was.

He unlocked the many key holes on his door and bolted inside. The alarm went off, so he typed in the code before a series of traps went off. His design of course. The frantic creature put down every shade in his apartment enough to where the room was pitch dark. He flipped on a few golden bulb lights that would be just enough for what he was about to do. Through a series of events, he uncovered the duplicates of his furry hide that were residing in a compartment under his enormous basement. Guano went to his bathroom, the place he knew he'd be the safest to do this.

The creature unzipped his fur to reveal a soft, human skin. His legs and torso was much longer than the cute creature he masqueraded as. He'd figure he was about the height of Lily. Kind of wimpy looking, but not quite as much as Mikey. Next, he took off his animal mask and he blinked at his light colored flesh rather than the purple color he was use to seeing. It was a rare moment for him to look at himself for barely a second before he took baths. Let alone the minutes he stood there in his boxers. But the holidays had an effect on Guano that he rarely ever went into.

Unlike his friends, he didn't have anyone in the entire world he could feel safe with exposing his true self. Not a single soul knew what he truly looked like. He felt more sympathetic and alone. Not quite the usual emotions of crying and fright he felt from the stress of work was his feelings during the holidays. This was completely different. It's as if when Guano wasn't busting his end at work, hanging out with friends or being the secret Masked Tanuki, he didn't know what to do with himself. What would his life be if everything was taken away from him and he had to start from the bitter scratch again? And that thought alone always haunted the back of his mind when ever he was threatened to be fired. This emotion during Christmas made him feel tender and exposed. As if he was missing vital things he knew nothing of.

He ran his five fingers through his jet black colored hair, which pieces and strands touched his face, below his eyes. The human stopped at his widow's peak and moved down to his face. His brown colored, asian eyes started to fill with much fear and anxiety the longer he stood there and examined himself. The surprisingly human Guano's head was almost a heart shape and his nose was round. He had an innocent looking appearance. He could still pass on for the young adult in his mid twenties that he was. The man looked quite similar in some features to someone he feared on a daily basis. But he didn't see it, nor would he ever realize it. All of this was always foreign to Guano and he had enough. He zipped back up his animal hind and placed the teddy bear with one eye and stitches into his new suit. He felt his spine begin to tingle as he felt an imaginary earthquake. As if something like this had been engraved into his thoughts and memories before as he looked at his bear.

"Well, I guess I'd better get back to planning the party" he spoke, trying to get back on a more positive note.


	3. Chapter 3

(The morning before the events in the last chapter.)

A young woman with blowing dark locks and deep brown eyes waited outside the door to her country house. The blizzard air froze her pale skin to a more whiter and frail color. Her resistance against the storm was powerful enough to keep her standing tall, but not forever doing it alone. The woman stared longingly straight ahead deeper into the fields of violent snow fall.

She held a covered item in her bosom, trying to keep it hidden from the snares of that frigid world. When she went to take a look the item inside but it had disappeared and left inside it was a black hole. The lady panicked and yelled out for help, but was unheard for she was the only person there left alive. She eventually faded away herself, being swept away inside this soul sucking hole.

A young man woke up to find it was only a dream. He looked around the dim lighted night check his surroundings for protection. The boy looked around again, only to see the curvy silhouette of a woman in the corner. It frightened the man intensely as he hid under his dusty bed covers to hope it would go away. The woman slowly crept up to him and peaked her head out of the deep shadows. She gently dropped down the boy's blanket so he could see the image he was fearing. Larger than life, mud puddle colored eyes tear dropped down her red cheeks.

The women's soft face and body moved next to the boy's. He saw her darkness colored hair twined and twisted between her fingers as she wiped up the water drops with them. Instantly boy realized her intense beauty and fell under her hypnotic spell. She took out one of her shaking hands and reached out for the boy's clammy one. She placed his hand on her chest so she could absorb his warmth and positivity. Doing so drained the boy of his youth and he came up to be a crinkled, dried up elderly person. He looked at his body, but couldn't yell for his voice had been taken too. His bones became so brittle that they snapped as he heard a high pitched noise and then blacked out into nothingness.

Ozu woke up nearly drenched in sweat and hyperventilating in his bed. He panically looked around the faint blue moonlit room to remind himself what world he was in. It calmed him down and the frosty breeze of Tokyo's winter made the heated intensity of the man's emotions slowly fade. The producer simply disregarded his night terrors as if they were just a horror film's commercial and he could easily flip the channel. And then to find some comical program to numb his mind. Ozu tried falling back asleep, pushing back his thoughts so that his weary body could rest. Yet he was wide awake from the scare of his nightmare.

Therefore couldn't hold back the sea of thoughts as they came violently splashing in against his hollowed out head. All the memories of the holidays were making their yearly appearance like a distant relative. As the cold air stood in his penthouse, he recalled the same weather decades ago. He felt sucked into another universe of the past. Suddenly an image of a deserted house with a burnt roof quickly flashed into his eyes and he rubbed them furiously.

The producer almost wanted to tear apart his pillow with his clenched hands. Which he did with quite ease. The feathers flew everywhere, followed by the sound of sneezing by someone else. Yes Man awoke up from the little drawer under his boss's bed that he always slept in. For once Ozu was content to hear that sound-barrier breaking voice blab away. At least it distracted the old man's mind. Plus, Yes Man was really the only person Ozu let get this close in general to him. Despite his annoyance, at least Yes Man made him think of other things.

"Why is Ozu up this late?" Yes Man spoke in his usual string of words. He was picking up all the white feathers as they floated to the bedroom's floor. The quirky, tinted yellow glasses man managed to stuff all of them in his business suit/pajamas before they popped out. He had to start all over again.

"No reason. I just had a bad dream," Ozu spoke with little softness in his voice. He tried to avoid the conservation from going on further.

"Oooh," Yes Man quickly forgot about his quill quest and plopped down onto the end of Ozu's bed, which made a springy noise as he did so. The old man knew what his ditzy employee would ask next. "Are you ok, what was Ozu's dream about?" he questioned.

"Nothing of importance," he replied. "Now go back to sleep Yes Man."

"Okay, but what about the feathers?"

"Forget them, we can clean them up in the morning." Ozu sighed.

"But it is morning and they are giving me the allergies" Yes Man reminded him as the clock pointed out it was almost three.

"GO TO BED RIGHT NOW," shouted his boss and Yes Man zoomed into his drawer falling fast asleep to please him.

Ozu didn't needed to be reminded it was a week before Christmas already. Not now, he already had the entire day to bitterly cringe when he woke up again some hours later.

The grey haired man sat on his living room sofa bundled up in an uncomfortable sweater and had a steaming mug of coffee on his little table. Yes Man was in the kitchen preparing a holiday sized warm breakfast with gingerbread cookies on the side. Ozu flipped around the channels, unsatisfied that each premise was sickeningly heartwarming. He powered off the television and laid back in his seat, drifting off in thought.

The elderly man recalled when he was about twelve years old. Him and his older twin brother Brozu worked at their father's dojo, but they'd still snuck off occasionally to mess around with snowballs during their break. Ozu recalled watching action and adventure packed anime that the kiddy station always would marathon during Christmas. His interest in such shows would have eventually lead the man to wanting to produce such programs as an adult. But the producer knew it hadn't been that clear of a career decision. Sure, he cared for such shows on his own. Yet if it wasn't for particular occurrences, he might still be working at that dojo under his father.

Yes Man placed his tray of food on the coffee table proudly. He waited for some comment of positivity about it, but saw the old man lost in thought again as he stared out the window. Yes Man then tried to spark his attention with some news.

"Ozu, your parents from Sappora and Brozu's and his visiting family there called yesterday. They said, 'Merry Christmas to our little boy, uncle and bro!'"

Ozu's only action was him shuttering at the term "little boy". Not because of his parents, as he had deep respect for them. He just hated to hear this term.

"They also said 'We miss you and hope to see you soon. Also-'" Yes Man read aloud from the postcard, pacing around the living room as he did so. But he ended mid sentence because of his boss's hand giving a stop sign.

"That's fine. I'll read it on my own later."

"Ozu, could Yes Man ask you a question?"

"I guess so" he took a sip from his coffee before setting it down again and placing his hands on his chin.

"Why don't you ever see your family on Christmas" Yes Man asked and Ozu was almost shocked at his tone of seriousness. He didn't take it lightly though. Ozu stood up and poked his servant in his little "Kiss the Yes Man" apron.

"I just prefer to be alone. Something I'd think you would respect seeing how you're always bumming around MY house during Christmas and not with those twelve siblings and family issues you always whine about" Ozu snapped.

"Ozu... those words hurt. A lot." Yes Man ran off crying to the bedroom.

"So what if I isolate myself," Ozu spoke to himself. "I have every right to do so. Brozu and his perfect little family are always trying to butt into my personal life." Though Ozu knew that wasn't really true. Brozu had three children with three different women. All because of marriage problems being the downfall of the relationships. Now his grown up children, one with their own baby had difficult time coming together each year. It had been hard on Brozu to get visiting rights between two of them, where as the other child lived with him mostly.

Ozu felt bad for his older brother though. Even though he joked around a lot, wore tons of plastic animal fur with red gym suits and used slang more than a professional rapper, Brozu had a good heart underneath. Still, any family was better than no family, he pondered. Ozu felt extremely jealous of all the warmth and memories his sibling got to experience in nearly three decades of parenthood. The old man could feel his heart slowly slipping down his throbbing chest and he exhaled deeply.

He knew exactly how many years it would have been for him if his own baby boy had been there with him. And of course of his wife. The old man begun to envision those terrors he had last night of her haunting presence.

The producer snapped out of it and went to go see his Lilymu employees. He drove through insane Christmas week traffic to the Studio. Though production had officially ended a few days ago, they were finishing up some last minute scenes. The little fur ball director wasn't always the best when it came to keeping up with schedules when Mikey kept messing up scenes this year. Speaking of, maybe because Mikey was successful at making him money (okay probably) that Ozu really treasured the young actor and his unique personality. Sometimes the producer even felt like he could be a father figure to him.

"Cut! That's a wrap, we're done for the season," Guano happily yelled to his fellow actors and the camera men. Surprisingly, Mikey hadn't mess up the take. (But that didn't mean he wouldn't accidentally ruin the set.)

As Lily went on about a Christmas party she was planning for that night, Ozu silently came in the door. His mind wasn't prepared for work, nor did he care what the workers around him were doing for once. Yes Man had gotten happy again and gave his boss a santa hat and scarf to wear. Which Ozu resented a lot, but didn't want to hear Yes Man cry through the whole car drive there. Yes Man wore a Christmas tree costume himself and danced around. His boss however, was not amused with his moves and chucked a stocking down his throat.


	4. Chapter 4 (a short, lame one)

Ozu could hear the chitchat and mutters of the employees around him. The almighty producer strolled by with his hands in his formal wear's pockets and his view straight ahead. Ozu was never afraid to bark out orders, but near December he'd start getting more quiet until he was finally silent. The only time he'd make a noise was when someone crossed him or said something about the holiday. Then he'd go berserk at the said person, especially if they were elf costume wearing Yes Man. The Lilymu five were hanging out around the set after the final episode of the year was done.

"Careful Mikey" Gonard told the main star. "Around Christmas Ozu gets a real case of the grumpys."

"Well I guess this would be the perfect time then to ask Ozu for unreasonable demands for me to keep working here for another year" excitedly proclaimed the red headed wonder.

"How come?" Mitsuki questioned.

"My acting contract for the season expired, so I thought I could cash into this" Mikey deviously explained.

"Do you even hear yourself right now. Like seriously, does anyone besides me even hear half of these things that he says" Lily babbled away.

"Mikey do you really want to jeopardize your job right when Lilymu has FINALLY skyrocketed in viewership?! If you get fired, then we'll get fired and I'll get fired and I'll have to go back to my job on Dancing with Adolph-" Lily smacked a hand over Guano's mouth.

"Well ta-ta my fellow workerees! La da la da!" Mikey waved off and went prancing off to go annoy his boss.

"Worker what?" Guano questioned, muffling because of Lily's hand still placed on his face.

Ozu stared out his office window and blanked out looking through the endless fields of white and skyscrapers. Suddenly he remembered a time in his parent's apartment when he was working on a creative writing assignment with a schoolmate. She and him were laying stomach first on the floor. The duo tried to think of the fourth paragraph for some of their favorite subjects, superheroes and action shows. Before Ozu could think, the girl had already scribbled away on their project. She gave it to her classmate to take a look at it. It had taken up a page and the back of it as he read.

"Wow.. you're really fast at writing" Ozu told her quite surprised himself.

"Heh, well I guess it comes naturally after some years. Wait, that "really fast" part wasn't a bad thing right?" She nervously asked.

"Well no, not in your case at least. I mean well..."

"Well what?" She nervously scrambled up the papers to notice any flaws he might had been referring to. Her long, dark hair got in the way of her flustered eyes.

"I dunno, I guess you could have not wrote every single detail about the location of Super Fudgy Nut's super secret hideout's hardwood oak floors" Ozu spoke honestly and kinda cringed at this super fellow's name she had made, even if it was a joke.

"Well to be fair, it's never bad to over describe the world around you in my book" She started to preach on a soap box. "But at least I know I'll have you always there to critique my work".

Ozu gazed a clean piece of paper, trying to think of a fifth part of the story.

"And I'll be there to help you think of something to write Mr. Empty Space" She jokingly jabbed his elbow.

"Hey now there Kiyoko" Ozu stormed up and the girl named Kiyoko sweat dropped away nervously.

The old man in the present day couldn't think of why this memory had suddenly flashed him. But he did remember this was one of the first writing projects he was in charge of. The feeling of being the leader of a well developed program (well when they got done and removed some "over detailed" scenes of gory battles) had grown inside of him after that day. Ozu felt as if this was a foundation for his producing occupancy. Not like his job mattered during this winterized season. It was the mere root of his life's spiral. Though it was very painful for him to recall memories, he couldn't help but doing so. At least the ones he had about before his marriage were not as bad.

Ozu started to come back to reality when Mikey Simon entered his office, but then quickly lost in touch again as he started to speak. The producer really couldn't remember what the teenager went on and on about, something disturbing likely.

"What is it Mikey" Ozu looked away uninterested.

"My contract is due up for a renewal and you need a red hot super nova that can't be contained. Even by break away pants!" Mikey takes off his trousers and begins to twirl them around a bit. Until he feels embarrassed of course.

Mikey realizes Ozu wasn't listening to him the entire time. Maybe if Yes Man was there he could have escorted the kid out. But then Ozu would have to suffer from annoyance.

"Man, Gonard and everyone were right. You do act pretty weird around the holidays. What's wrong, hate buying gifts for the family?" Ozu begun to shake at that last word.

"OUT OF MY OFFICE, NOW" Ozu loudly barked.

"I can't believe you're just letting a great actor like this get away." Mikey looked insulted.

"You're not a great actor. You won a silly scratch card contest and that is final."

Mikey feeling even more upset, walked off and ended up locking himself in his room for hours.

Meanwhile the producer had more tiffs, including spraying down some employees with a water hose and etc.


	5. Chapter 5

Ozu stared with anxiety and dread outside the crisp, cold window of his studio. With each snowflake in the night's darkness fell to the ground, the old producer's heart sunk lower. Today had been one, if not the most bizarre and heart throbbing day of his life. After he had sprayed two of his employees down with a hose from anger at their caroling, the old man was visited by three Christmas ghosts. He swore it had all been a deranged nightmare of his thoughts trying to tell him something. Yet, the supernatural creatures were actually real. The first one had forced him back in time to the worst place he could have ever imagine. Ozu inhaled the familiar surroundings of Kyoto. The inches of snow engulfed the sleeping city as the loudly wind whistled against their walls.

The curious man crept up to windows of cozy homes where he observed dozens of blankets and pillows huddled around a fire. Usually a family with their children would be nuzzled underneath. Their bodies close together and faces glowing with contentment. Some were cooking cuisine that danced around the rooms with its' sweet and savory smells. Ozu watched in wonder when he had recognized familiar faces of old companions. The day he left Kyoto, he had cut off almost all connections, except the occasional visit from close family. So to see them again many years before, was enough to bring back guilt into his heart.

He followed the spirit past several more houses before they stopped at a vital building. He was inspecting to see just another home full with a laughing family, but instead he violently had emotions thrown on him. A young, soft woman wore a sky blue kimono wrapped with a tender pink bow across her waist line stood outside the patio. Her raven hair and unsure brown colored eyes rung loud in the producer's back mind. All he could do is watch, as the former haunting memories played back before his literal eyes. In her hands laid a white blanket which peaked out a chubby, with eyes matching his mother's, infant within the warm layers. He reached his small arms directly out to a man who was standing next to the woman, he earnestly tried to get affection from this person. The baby's little round nose and cheeks were red as were his doll like eyes were tearful. The young man gently touched his child's forehead, soothing his mood.

"I can't leave just yet" the fear stricken husband spoke out. "We have barely been together for a year now."

"It's already been discussed enough Ozu, anymore and it's pointless. I know how much this job would mean to us. We have the whole family here to watch over us while you're gone." The woman replied and held the baby closer to her body.

"Kiyoko, I want to be sure you and him are safely with your mother or my parents every day. I'm not leaving until you do so"

"Of course I will, I couldn't imagine taking care of him myself. Your mother and my mother have alternating shifts to be here."

The young man put his arms on her shoulders, surprising her anxiety full nature. "I wish it was easier for you and him to come with me. You know that I won't see you again for a year."

The present day Ozu quickly clenched his fists and tightened up his eyes at the last word his past self uttered.

"It's safer to be around his actual home and he'll be around all of us. I'll write to you during my free time from work" Kiyoko responded trying to reassure her depressed state of mind. She masqueraded these feelings to be more upbeat. "And you know, my free time from this little one." She cuddled the baby as he cooed in delight.

"Such a short time and he's already noticing everything around him." Ozu replied smiling and looked at his offspring who timidly stared back.

"And by the time you return I'll actually figure out a name for him." She joked around at her state of undecided long list of potential names.

After more discussing, Ozu spoke up once more to say his farewells.

"I will return for Christmas. Good-bye dear and "little-nameless-for-now" son." Younger Ozu picked up the small amount of items he was bringing with him on his journey to Tokyo. He reached out of it for a small teddy bear that had been restitched and lost one of its' beady eyes. "I wish I could have given you a better gift, but it was all I could afford on my own right now." He placed the teddy bear directly into his son's cradled arms as the toy made amusing noises. "I promise I'll come back with tons, loads, a mountain full of toys!"

"Looks like we'll need another nursery room then to fit them all in," she smiled.

Ozu kissed both of them and then walked off into the white background until Kiyoko could no longer see him. When he was out of sight, she immediately slid down against the wall of the patio and begun to sob. The little boy looked concerned at this crying giant and held onto his bear tighter.

The present day Ozu was horrified seeing this detail his younger, more foolish self seemed to have ignored. The old man ran up the steps to comfort his poor young wife. He tried to hold her, but his body went through hers as if he was a spirit. He gazed intensely into her tear dropped, big eyes. Then he begun to feel his throat throb as he looked at the frightened, infant face that she held tightly as she wept.

"Kiyoko! I'm right here." he shouted but she was unable to hear his crying plea.

"Ozu listen to me, this is only a memory of the past," the ghost reminded him. "You're not able to have any contact with anyone here. They don't exist technically. It's impossible, believe me."

Ozu begun yell in frustration and ripped some his grey tinted hair out. He violently kicked at the wall of his home, but didn't make a dent. He lost his balance and tripped down to the snowy floor beneath the steps, back first. There Ozu could see his former wife get up and go in their home, as he was still hurting between cold breaths.

"Careful!" the ghost said floating to him. "Even if you can't interact with the people here, you can still get injured."

"But how?"

"Logically you have to be able to stand on some kind of solid ground right? Or you'd go through all the earth's grounds into space."

The old producer went to chase after her disregarding the previous comment from the Christmas ghost. The spirit sighed and follows the emotionally unstable man. Cautiously, Ozu tip-toed past the patio, hoping he wouldn't pass through the house as he did with Kiyoko.

To his surprise, he was easily able to enter. All the senses and smells and coldness wrapped into this cozy home attacked his nostalgic state. A dark, blue hue of the middle of winter covered the Japanese walls. The living room couch had been a hand me down and smelt antique. It was one of the few things visible in the room, beside the fireplace. The present day Ozu walked to one of the walls, that displayed pictures of him and Kiyoko in high school. Pictures he had lost the moment he left for work that day. He tried to touch the faces within the frame, only for his hand to go through it. The old man was startled as he felt like there was someone behind him. He turned around to see Kiyoko in all her natural beauty. She could not see or hear him, but was looking at the same thing he was. The woman passed through him and rubbed the sixteen year old face of her husband.

"I hope your daddy will remain safe during his trip. If there's anything to be excited about, it's him happily coming home in exactly twelve months... Twelve long months. But there's nothing we can't handle, especially when you have the blood of Ozu." she spoke to her baby who looked in awe at the picture she stroked. Her hands begun to shake as she thought further about him.

"Kiyoko, I wish you could hear me. I wish you told me you were still feeling terrible" The producer started to say but got choked up. He remembered she had had postpartum depression shortly after their son was born. It was a genetic trait, as her mother was a clinically depressed woman. He knew why she didn't tell him, the woman wanted Ozu to fulfill his dreams of providing for the family without the aid of their parents. She earnestly had always wanted everyone to strive the best they can, job wise, even if it was impossible for them to do so. The producer guess she had been overly stubborn in that area along with others.

Suddenly the infant within the covers started to yawn, as did the mother. Ever since his birth two months ago, Kiyoko and Ozu had been restless taking care of his always crying needs. It was as if the baby was always as frightened as Kiyoko was. They sleepily walked to the master bedroom through the hallway. Ozu followed the ghostly woman through each step. The ghost followed directly behind him, as Ozu made his way in the twisted and dark halls. The old man felt like he was in a horror movie, in his own loving home. But his desolate house hadn't been anything but a curse after they left. Kiyoko crouched down to the traditional bed on the floor and nestled between a couple layers of thick, green colored sheets. She held the baby tightly next to her face as he was playing with his bear.

Ozu walked the opposite side to catch their faces lying on the cushy pillow. Oh how long Ozu wanted to be able to hold her close right now.

"Restless huh? Despite how tired I am, I feel the same way junior" she spoke and sat up for a second. Inside the cabinet by the bed, she pulled out one of her large collection of handwritten manga books she wishes to publish some day. As she started to read, the baby grew more tired.

"That's what everyone seems to do when I read them..." she spoke in a serious tone.

"Oh Kiyoko, you just had to shorten them up a little in detail and maybe that wouldn't happen" the old man chuckled for the first time that day. How he missed how offended she'd get if people drifted off from her writing.

Ozu then started to think, he couldn't touch them but he could at least lay on the bed with them right? Ozu poked the mattress to confirm that it was solid. His back still hurt a little from that fall but didn't even mind the old springs supporting it. He felt warmth being able to lay there with them. She eventually stopped reading and sat the book by the bed. Kiyoko turned towards Ozu's way and scooted to not fall off the bed. By the time she had stopped, Ozu's heart raced as she and the baby was only an inch away from him. More than ever Ozu wished to touch her youthful, warm face and the wavy black strands of hair that covered her sight. Kiyoko looked for a few moments at her sound asleep child before closing her eyes herself.

The old producer was crying again as he had never felt this content yet unsatisfied in years.

"If these are my memories directly from my head, then how am I able to see all of this" the old man questioned the ghost who was watch all of this.

"These are not just the memories from you, but from your wife and son." The ghost answered.

"Their memories? How... how long do they go on" Ozu sat up on the bed, momentarily disregarding his sleeping family.

"I'm sorry, they only go up to this point. I was ordered to give out a limited amount of information towards your past Ozu Yukimara. Anymore and it could possibly damage the timeline of the universe."

"How is that possible, you told me these are THEIR memories. How could they stop?!" The old man tried to grasp the ghost as he got up and sunk to the bedroom floor. His knees were tightly close to his body as he rested his head on his legs.

"Even if it was remotely possible, you wouldn't want to see it..." The ghost looked at the Japanese man with sorrowful eyes.

"You can't even tell me what happened?!" Ozu wanted to destroy this spirit with his bare hands.

The ghost bit his lip and shook his head. He was a light hearted spirit, whose job was to view pasts, and this one had been very sorrowful for him. With tearful eyes and grinding teeth, the former husband and father kept looking at the spirit speechless.

"Let's forward in time a bit" was the spirit could utter under such sad events, only doing the job he was assigned to.

"NO. I don't want to! Don't make me leave them again! I rather die!" Ozu yelled out, but they were already in the future.

The tearful producer was so wrapped up in emotions, that he was quite shocked to see his young self return to their old home. This time he had a sack full to the brim of teddy bears, trains, toy cars for his child like he promised. And multitude of books, pencils, a typewriter and different shades of blue dresses for his wife.

"No, I can't watch this." Ozu uttered between panicking breaths. He grabbed onto the arm of the ghost as of a way of making the supernatural creature stop torturing his soul. But at the same time, the producer wanted to live out this memory once more.

"Kiyoko and baby! I'm back and we've made it big time. I mean my fortune literally fell from the sky, I think it was because someone dropped money sacks by accident. Either way, this miracle gave us enough to live by." The younger Ozu spoke cheerfully with a brand new business suit reflecting his new job. The man happily skipped to his home with the sack, feeling like Santa Claus about to deliver gifts. He opened his eyes to see the radiant faces he dreamt of meeting again for an entire twelve months. His heart pounded with happiness and long anticipation. Though, when he opened them only the howling of the winter wind was upon him. He looked around his home for the two.

"Kiyoko? Son? Hello-" all of a sudden the former Ozu felt some wood chips hit his head. He looked above and saw the roof have hole in it and it was burnt black. As if something had brutally hit it.

"Where's my family?" Ozu looked in sorrowful horror at this destruction. In shock, he started to say it again and threw the bag of gifts through his fence making a hole in it.

Ozu had seen enough, he knew the downfall of emotions for the rest of his life that would take place after that. The ghost had brought him back to present day as the spirit itself felt awfully bad for him. Later Ozu was visited by the Ghost of Japanese Christmas Present (who didn't do much besides learn of his back story) and the last one who was of the Future. The man tried to maniacally ruin his employees' party for tonight with the Past/Present ghost but was stopped by the Future spirit. He had promised Ozu that on a Christmas Day he would be reunited with his baby boy.

Now it brought him all back to his current state of the present. He had enough replaying the scenes from earlier that day. Ozu was still staring outside the window as he deeply engraved those words in his mind. Of all the countless years of sorrow and isolation to his producing career, would he finally have his heart's void filled? It was hard for the old man to think of anything but his lost offspring since he was born. He fact that Ozu had a police investigation for many years in search of them and to find nothing had crushed his will of life. But now, he would easily meet him due to a prophecy. But the way the Christmas Ghost told him the news concerned him as he held his arms tighter. The sounds of party's holiday music was ringing louder with each piano note. He was feeling warmth, but didn't know if he should be projecting it out. Would it be this Christmas he would meet his long awaited for adult son? If his child came to him that very night he didn't know if he could be prepared. Heck, if this mysterious being was inside this very building, how would he not recognize him? And what about Kiyoko? All these questions raced through his mind at once.

Ozu turned around from the window facing Tokyo and his eyes were covered in the yellow light from the celebration. Everybody was conversing with one another. He looked into the massive crowd of different faces to locate this lost soul. But with no results, as he didn't recognized any. Ozu still had the image of his features that were a mixed of his and his wife's buried deep into his skull.

"Maybe it wasn't supposed to be this year after all. Perhaps it will take a few more decades by that time he'll probably be my age," he let out a sigh of giving up.

Suddenly a he felt a pull on his brown pant leg. He shifted around only to see it was his director and writer Guano Kawamoto. The old man looked a little displeased at how Guano had interrupted his thoughts.

"Uh hey Ozu. How's it going?" The furry animal spoke with hesitation.

The producer had a feeling the purple creature either wanted to talk about the next season for Lilymu or to make awkward small talk for little reason. Ozu had been nicer to his Lilymu cast once he learned the news. And he so broken at this point of waiting around, that he wouldn't mind much of a conversation. Guano fiddled around with his claws as the man stared at him. While Guano's eyes were directly fixed to the floor.

"It could be a lot better," Ozu spoke mildly which shocked Guano.

"Thanks for paying for the party. It was a lot of work for us to do and we felt pretty bummed when you, well. You know." The director watched his words in fear of getting yelled at. "Destroyed it and all... But I guess what I'm saying is I appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure Guano."

"So well, you know those random, really creepy ghosts that are here? Well one of them told me the story of what happened to you a long time ago with your family. Did it uh, really happen?"

Ozu was shocked to hear that the ghosts had let some random soul in on his personal life. If it wasn't for his hope of finding his son, Ozu would probably had barked his employee down. However, he just let it go and sighed. "Sadly... it did."

"I... Ozu...?" Guano traced words together as he started to tear up. Ozu noticed this and was sort of touched to see his director emotional about it.

"Yes Guano?"

Guano's tears in his eyes started to stream down his fur as his boss was very confused.

"Yes...?" He spoke getting less patient.

The director didn't speak and Ozu sighed again. "I'm aware it's very depressing but you don't have to-"

Guano proceeded to push his blue stomach crystal open and pull out a brown item out of it. He opened his claws for the world to see the mysterious item within. It was a brown teddy bear covered in stitches and had a missing eye. Ozu eyes grew nearly as wide as his face. His hands begun to violently tremble and he couldn't made sense of anything as his head raced. Guano was also silent and could only do physical actions as his mouth had frozen shut. Such as taking off his animal mask for the first time for any living person.

Under the mask, laid distinct features that biologically matched with Ozu's. His same nose, hair style, eye shape, skin color, along with Kiyoko's hair color, face shape, eye color... That perfectly combined together to make him a a unique individual. Ozu remembered the terrified expression he saw from the flashback of his infant holding his bear tightly against his mother. It was impossible that Guano was...but how could he not be...

"Son...?" He choked after many silent minutes of touching the unmasked face. The man used his thumbs to wipe the tears that streamed down his grown up boy's soft skin.

Guano could only nod, as his voice was swallowed up for the second.

"Daddy?" Guano blurted out shaking with each syllable. He slowly got closer to Ozu and hugged him intensely.

Ozu held onto Guano almost hard enough to drain life out of him. The two had so many emotions and thoughts, but at the same time they had none. For everything was a blur up to that point and every memory of the past didn't matter to either of them in the heat of the moment. For two who had been so different in terms of personality, one being hostile and the other being fearful they suddenly had everything in common. The wave of not being concern about his dopey director came crashing down as he hugged him more tightly with each breath.

"Daddy, where have you been?" Guano wailed squeezed within his fatherly, warm arms.

"I'm sorry," Ozu hysterically proclaimed after each whimper. "I'm so sorry".

When his father finally let him go, Guano's eyes were bloodshot red. He noticed he was still in a room full of people that weren't in their little dark corner. So he hesitantly put his mask back on and begun to pace around unsure of himself.

"Did anyone see me?! Someone might have seen my face," his son hyperventilated loudly and Ozu grabbed onto his costume paw to calm him down. For the first time ever Ozu felt paternally protective of this little creature.

"No one saw you, we're way over here." The still tearful old man pat his hands on his little boy's shoulders and went to hold him tightly again.

"But everyone noticed me, they must have" he begun to panic as usual.

"Listen to me son, that doesn't matter! All that matters is you to me right now!".

But then, Ozu begun to notice Guano's pupils disappeared and he his head was spinning around.

"Ozu... I'm sorry for letting you down again..."

He collapsed passed out into Ozu's arms, his eyes were closed and his mouth drooled.

"GUANO!" shouted Ozu as he picked up his limp body and placed it against his fast breathing chest.

Suddenly almost everyone who was busy partying heard this loud action and stared at the two. The music had stopped playing and the loud crowd grew quieter. Guano's friends nervously walked up and looked overly shocked as they saw the purple little director barely breathing. Yes Man had stopped his silly dance on the studio's stage and went rushing to the aid of Ozu.

"What happened to him?" most of the old producer's employees and other people spoke. Within the crowd also was Brozu and his No Man.

"Ozu are you okay?" Yes Man teared up.

"What do you mean if I AM OKAY?" He barked loudly at the sadden yellow tinted glasses man.

Mitsuki quickly dialed up an ambulance with the press of a button. As Ozu laid on the floor, bitter drops pours down his cheeks and large mass surrounding him. He kept holding Guano tighter as each minute raced by. Everyone around him kept questioning the old man and were surprised at his reaction to Guano, but he answered none. All hear was his eardrums focusing in on his loudly beating heart and the sweat racing down his wrinkled forehead. Brozu couldn't reach the front of the crowd but whispered under his breath.

"Little bro...?" he softly lipped.

The disappointed faces of Kiyoko and Guano as the infant kept flashing his eyeballs, blinding him. He felt more scared than that Christmas day his family left him. The ambulance loudly pulled up to the studio and several men quickly rushed in. Ozu was clenching onto dear life for his boy, but the paramedics insisted he would let him go. They ringingly placed an oxygen mask over his furry mouth and slid him on a stretcher. Ozu got up to his feet in a second and chased after these people. Yes Man joined him, but he told the man to leave him alone. Yes Man denied seeing the pain he was in and other Lilymu members followed him.

"Wait! I need to go with him!" Ozu shouted as they lifted his son through the snow of the dark night into the truck. The weather was brutal enough to almost knock the old man to his feet, but he rammed against it. And caught up to them.

"What are you doing Ozu?" Mikey Simon yelled out as the producer and his friends were freezing outside of the studio's doors.

"Excuse me, only immediate family is allowed with the patient" one of the paramedics yelled through the howling winds.

"I'm his father!" He yelled out angrily to the man and not wanting to lose any more precious time, he hopped up inside the truck, next to unconscious Guano.

Mikey, Mitsuki, Gonard, Lily and Yes Man looked in pure shock at what they had just learned. They couldn't do anything but watch the ambulance race off as they stood in silence. For they were all unaware of the life scarring events that had happen a few minutes prior to the united Yukimara family.


	6. Chapter 6

Guano awoke from unconsciousness and opened his eyes slowly. With each blink the white fuzziness that surrounded his viewing sharpened. He finally saw that he was looking directly up at a ceiling, possibly he was on a bed that he couldn't move easily. Next what followed in senses were complete silence beside the normal ringing of his ears. He was afraid to look down as he had no clue where he was or if it was dangerous being there. He braved up and forced his eyeballs down. Right in front of the bed, he saw an empty blue chair, a television set and a flower pot with lavender and other types of flowers inside. The director shifted his head to the left and only saw tan colored drapes, concealing a window behind them. On his right, Guano saw a white door that had been closed shut and on it was a clipboard with scribbled papers. He couldn't make out what was written on it, as he was some feet away. Maybe it was all a dream and he would wake up. He panically went to pinch himself to prove if it was or was not. What he saw on his hand or (didn't see) made him scream very loudly. His hand... it wasn't furry and purple. Which meant he wasn't wearing his...

"MY SUIT" Guano shrieked and the echoes carried through the deserted room. He looked up and down his body and saw saw that he was in a blue hospital gown. He panically hoisted the top half of his human body to sit up, but felt a rush of pain on his left arm. Drenched in sweat Guano threw back the covers and discovered a needle buried deep in one of his veins. He breathes heavily as he followed the tube with his eyes as it lead to an IV. Luckily it wasn't fill of blood, only a see through liquid which was probably water.

If it wasn't for this needle, he'd zoom out of there faster than Gonard eating his morning egg sandwich. Then he remembered... Gonard... Mikey... his friends! Maybe one of them brought Guano here for some life threatening reason. If that was true, one or maybe all four of his friends saw him exposed as a fellow human. Never had he removed it, even for medical purposes. His heart pounded louder than the pulse on his left arm from the ejection. He wasn't able to see straight as horrifying, cloudy memories of his earliest life hid his vision. He could feel a literal fire in his fingertips trickling down his gown covered chest, but clearly he was not. There wasn't actual burning in his skin due to a possible injury either. Guano realized it was if a memory was being triggered that he long forgot about.

The panicking twenty-something year old put a clammy hand firmly onto the tube and was ready to pull it out. Until he came to his senses and realized if he did, he could seriously injure his left arm. Possibly blood spewing everywhere and his arm forever scarred. The Japanese man started to fill dizzy and light headed at his thoughts. That wouldn't work, the only thing he had to protect himself from the outside world were the covers that laid on his bare legs. He would just have to hide his natural state if a nurse, doctor or the person who brought him here in the first place opened the door. Guano whimpered and squealed, he had never been more terrified in his life. If he was found out, all his other secrets would soon follow. Where he lived growing up, how he was raised... all of it. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind the door. Someone must have heard his cries. The door knob jiggled as his heart skipped around his chest. The director yanked the blankets over his head as he listened to it squeak open.

Footsteps banged against the squeaky floors, making the director startle in rhythm with them. He hoped the unknown creature would turn around and leave. Possibly not seeing the obvious lump within the covered bed.

"Stay back whoever you are" he yelped.

Instead it grew closer until it stopped inches away. Guano was still shivering under the blankets and didn't want to know who it was. Under his dark chamber, a hand came busting through his safety grounds. It aimed for his face and placed itself on his right cheek. The director didn't know what to do. He squirmed around in hopes the menace would unlatch itself. It stayed put, even when Guano tried to tear it off.

"Guano, calm down" a raspy voice from spoke in a rather soothing mood.

The no longer purple animal, froze up when he realized who the voice and hand belonged to.

"Ozu...?" He started calming down a bit, but not for only a few seconds. "What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where's my costume?!"

"We're at the Tokyo City Emergency Clinic. I am here because I came along with you once you passed out." He spoke slowly to panicking Guano as if he was a little child. Guano was still concealed beneath the covers and Ozu had taken his hand back. The director had so many questions, he had no idea why his boss had followed him or even taken him here.

"Why did I pass out..?" he muffled underneath.

"You don't remember.." Ozu said it more as a statement to himself than a question. Guano could only wait for his boss to respond. He couldn't see the old man's face, and felt awkwardly confused at why Ozu was hesitant. "Do you remember anything about this night?"

"All I remember was being at Lily's Christmas party at the studio and talking to some friends..."

"Do you remember who you talked to?"

"Mikey, Lily, Yoshi the camera man... a ghost... YOU." Guano yelled that last part. A tidal wave of anxiety feelings and antsy behavior stroke his heart. He felt as if his very own heart had taken a leap off of Mt. Everest into a pit of needles and pins. Guano scrambled to the other side of the bed, still concealed from seeing his boss. "Ozu, Ozu, Ozu, Ozu" he hyperventilated between squeals.

"Guano" he heard his boss say, getting loud like the director had been use to.

"Where's my suit?!" Guano said avoiding the reality of talking to that ghost and taking off his mask at the studio because of Ozu being... who he claimed to be.. Guano once again kept calling out his name for little reason than to be comforted in the mass chaos of his mind. He heard more footsteps of Ozu as he shifted the left side of the room.

"We had to take it off, you were dehydrated and needed an I.V. You were unconscious due to a critical panic attack. Now I'm not going to let you do this again. Look at me!" Ozu stormed up as if they were back in Lilymu Studios and Guano had done something wrong while directing the latest episode.

"No! I want my suit! I need it! Give it back! Give me my suit! Give me it!" Guano violently squirmed through his sheets as if he was a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"You have an I.V. in your arm Guano, you can't put it on" Ozu yelled back.

"TAKE... IT...OUT."

"No Guano." Ozu firmly said.

"I want my suit now! Give it back!"

"No!"

"Give it!"

"If you don't stop this act of childish behavior I'll- Uh fire you!"

"I don't care, you always fire me anyways! Give me it! I can't be protected from the world with out it. I've always been safe on my own with it... On my own.. With my teddy bear... Everything on my own...No one is going to-" the little man wheezed and started to blubber out tears.

His fleshly hands were busy smashing his eyes down in hopes of rejecting tears from pouring down. Ozu violently ripped back the covers and saw his extremely red face and eyes covered by his palms. Water trickled from Guano's eyes and down his chin. He had huddled himself in a ball and his skin felt irritated by the gown and not the suit he was forced to wear. Guano noticed the air was lighter because his shield of covers had been broken.

"Don't look at me! I'm not like you. I'm a 'happy, happy' little purple creature with not a care in the world! 'Guano, Guano!'" He mimicked his famous line on Lilymu, losing his mind slowly.

He grabbed them from the old man's hands and went to hastily pull them over his head again but looked at his boss. His eyes were heavier than usual, they had black rings under them and he wasn't wearing his suit jacket either. The white sleeves of his shirt had been rolled up, as if he needed to be colder to resist sweating. His tie was gone, as were all his business talk. But he noticed something his boss had done twice now in the same night. Ozu was forming tears in his eyes just like he had.

It was as if that entire night he had been a completely new person. His rage full personality had been replaced with a gentler, caring one. All because of the reason Guano wasn't able to admit to his soul.

"Ozu," Guano had removed his hands from his eyeballs and exposed his dark brown eyes as Ozu gazed into them. "I'm sorry for acting that way.."

"It's alright Guano. I shouldn't have lashed out on you like that. I guess both of us have extreme emotions to stress." Ozu held his forehead as if he was coming down with a headache.

"I'm so scared, more scared I have ever been in my life." The little man replied.

"Me too... son." He sighed loudly to get the air back breathing into his lungs.

Ozu walked to the other side of Guano's bed once more and without asking, sat on it next to his employee. He squirmed closer to Ozu, almost expecting the producer to hit or yell at him for getting too close. Instead, Ozu pulled the black hair head to his his white shirt and hugged Guano's body. The director was stunned.

Guano sobbed louder at this act of kindness, as if he was an upset baby again and Ozu was the parent trying to calm him down. "I don't understand anything anymore!" Guano yelled out from under his face pressed up against his chest.

"I don't either... and I don't want to. I rather not be understanding anything with you than to thinking I have the world figured out alone." The man Guano was holding onto spoke. With each word, the vibration of his deep, paternal voice on his chest naturally soothed the child's fast breathing.

"How could I have never realized it and how could you had disappear from my life?" The son spoke out.

"I have the same exact thoughts."

The similar two stared at one another both flustered and wasted. Ozu remembered being able to go back in time and sleep with his wife and baby earlier that day. Now he was actually cuddling with his son in the real world. For the first time in Ozu's life, he saw a younger version of himself on that hospital bed. The same scared and unsure being he was at Guano's age. How despite his tragic stories, he had moved on and got a stable job expressing his leadership in entertainment. When the old man had been of his years, he was a high stressed person with no immediate family. And still was. He didn't know what the future would hold for him. Now, looking at this crying creature he knew his child had felt all the same emotional scarring as him. Fearful, sorrowful, independence and alone.

The producer gently kissed his forehead, a rushing act of emotion he didn't even realize he did until it was over. His director was taken back and let go of his grip on the executive. Ozu looked around the room awkwardly to find stability. He coughed a bit to break the silence.

"Uhh.. sorry about that.. That was really not right to do.."

He tried to forget what just had happened but it remained to be a big deal in his mind. Both weren't use to hugging or kissing like that, let alone from someone they barely knew personally from their professional and nonsensical jobs.

"That's the first time I've ever had someone show that kind affection for me.." Guano softly spoke. "I've never had family like you to hold onto for long." Guano resumed hugging the old man's torso with one arm, and the other was still hooked to the I.V.


End file.
